Chapter 1: A Super Nova!

About a year ago I discovered that I could astral projecting in my sleep. Just your everyday red-blooded American teenage girl, right? Okay, so not that average anymore. I have no idea how it started or where these powers came from, but I still have them. There must be a no return policy on them because no matter how much I try to ignore them they are still here.

Only one other person knows about these powers. My best friend since kindergarten the Willow Barnes. She was the only one I knew I could confide in. Willow was the opposite of me. Blonde, Beautiful, weight in all the right places, and overly confident. I on the other hand was a skinny brunette with wavy brown hair that cascaded down my back. She has had 5 boyfriends in her lifetime while I on the other hand have not even been able to convince one guy to date me. Not that I was too interested in dating right now. She dated but never seriously.

Willow was our school’s art prodigy and had the eye for what would be considered great art. She had an unhealthy obsession with a famous artist in our town Alec Dunby. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but she once bought napkin art on eBay for $50 that was supposed to be from him. I tried to convince her not to spend her contest money on it, but I told you it was an unhealthy obsession.

It was a normal Thursday night the day I decided to confide in her. We were both sitting in my bedroom reading books and I just couldn't concentrate on the book in my hands. I found myself looking at Willow trying to think of a way to explain it without looking like a total nut. Without being able to stop myself I put the book down and looked at her. Then I would talk myself out of it and go back to reading all in the span of a minute. I didn't want her to think of me as crazy. Finally, it was the 3rd time I had repeated those very steps that my brown eyes met with hers. Willow through the book down on her lap and glared at me

"Spill it, Nova!!" she screamed.

Since we had first met, she refused to call me by my first name. I asked her about it once and she told me that Nova was just way cooler to say then, Luna. There were butterflies in my stomach the more she glared at me. Would she even believe me?

The final death glare convinced me that if I had to trust someone with this it would be her. She knew everything about me from the cut on my left wrist to the burn on my right leg. If I had a birthmark, she would know that too. We had a pact made in 5^th grade that we would never lie to each other or keep secrets. It ate at me that I had waited so long to tell her. I would never hear the end of it.

My fear was beginning to subside, so I took a deep breath and acknowledged "I know it may sound crazy, but you have to believe what I am about to tell you. Trust me, I know just how absurd this all sounds.” I forced myself to continue before I could change my mind.

Willow could see that I was on the verge of keeping my mouth shut as she commanded, "Out with it, Nova!".

The next thing I knew words were escaping from my mouth like word vomit, "About 4 days ago I woke up to this figure floating above my bed. It was so bright giving off as much light as a night light. When I took a better look at the entity, I could see that it was me. I don’t know how it happened, but it was like I was in two places at the same time.”

I stood up from my bed and began to pace as I continued, “Honestly it was so weird that I assumed it was just a really strange dream. You know how I always have the most vivid dreams. Only it was not a dream. The next night the same thing happened.”

My eyes met with hers and I could tell that she was as shocked as I was when this all happened the first time.

“As I stared up at my form, I felt myself falling back to sleep, and then I started to dream. Just like every other night, I found myself floating in a tunnel of blackness that had nothing but bright white lights. The lights resemble the stars in the night sky.

I squinted my eyes as I tried to remember every detail.

“I experienced a sensation of being pulled in further and further into the abyss. That night I reached out so curious to touch one of the stars. When my hand made contact, I found myself transported to a forest that was so pretty it looked like it wasn’t even of this world. That next morning, I woke up back in my bed.”

Willow was covering her mouth like she was trying so hard to keep herself from talking.

I grew more animated as I spoke, “Each night I went into different stars and was taken to somewhere completely different from the last. I didn't understand what was happening until two nights ago when I went into a star and found myself in the middle of the ocean. It was so scary. All I can remember was the never-ending feeling of the cold water around me, the waves pushing me under, and the feeling of drowning. I’ve had falling dreams I just assumed it was something like that."

I began fumbling with my fingers searching for how to explain.

Her face grew serious as I allowed my fear to reflect in my tone, "I began to feel myself suffocating in my sleep. Somehow, I was able to force myself to wake up. It was then that I discovered that it was all real. That night as I watched the spirit form return to my body, I awoke with ocean water spewing like a hose from my mouth. If it was a dream why was my clothes soaked and the taste of saltwater stuck on my taste buds?"

Willow's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head as it all began to sink in.

She did what I didn’t expect as her eyes widened and she exclaimed in excitement, "Holy Shit, Nova! What the hell?! Why did you wait so long to tell me?!"

She stood up from the couch and stood in front of me. Before I knew it, she had grabbed both of my hands we both began jumping up and down in excitement. It felt so good to have someone to talk to.

"That is so cool! You can Astral Project are you messing with me right now?! I can't believe you waited 4 whole days to tell me." Willow cried out.

A big realization had hit her all at once because she let go of my hands and stopped jumping in one swift movement. I was met with her finger jabbing into my chest.

"Don't think I will let this slide! Best friends tell each other everything remember? No secrets!" she threatened.